A-tube or liner for ordnance.



H. MAXIM. A-TUBE OP. LINER POR ORDNANGE. APRLIOAUON FILED {11.11.28, 190s.

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H. MAXIM. A-TUBE 0R LINER FOR ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED J'AILZt?, 1908. 981,095.

Patented J an. 10, 1911.

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NED STASENT OFFCE.

HUDSON MAXIM, OF HOPATCONG BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY.

A-'VIUBE OR LINER FOR ORDNANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUDSON MAXIM, the borough of Hopatcong, county of Sussex, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful improvement in A-Tubes or Liners for Ordnance, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in A tubes or liners for ordnance, whereby an eroded or injured tube may be removed and replaced by another with minimum expenditure of time and money.

n carrying out the invention the gun is provided with a main tube on which the outside tubes or rings are shrunk in the. usual manner. This tube is made with a uniform taper throughout its length, narrowing to` ward the muzzle. The A tube or liner has a corresponding taper. The outer surface of the A tube and the inner surface of the main gun tube are smeared either witlf oil or other lubricant, preferably with a mixi ture of grease or paraffin or vaseline with a finely powdered metal, preferably alu` minum. forming a paste. I may also, and preferably do add an admixture of graphite to the grease or mixture for the purpose. The A tube or liner is then forced into the outer or main tube of the gun with hydraulic or other pressure applied to the rear end; and owing to the lubricant the liner may be forced in far enough to sufficiently compress it or put it under sufiicient tension, such as has heretofore been produced by shrinking on outer rings to an A tube.

Each end of the A tube or liner is preferably provided with a circumferential ob` turating or occluding device for retaining any excess of paste or grease between the A tube or liner and the outer tube after the A tube. has been forced home, which excess might otherwise be squeezed out by the discharge of the gun.

Then the gun is fired the projectile in moving forward tends to rotate the inner tube with respect to the outer main tube. This is provided with an attaching means in conjunction with the obturating device at both the forward and the rearward end of the A tube or liner. Furthermore, the forward pressure upon the A tube or liner, due to the thrust of the projectile along` the bore, tends to thrust the A tube or liner forward yet more firmly against the outer or main tube of the gun, and this serves both to prevent the turning of the A tube or liner, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 28, 1908.

ofl

l into place.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 413,032.

further tends to compress it and throw the main tangential strain upon the outer or main tube and the main body of the gun.

Vhen the A tube or liner has been worn out, eroded, or damaged, it is only necessary to remove the obturating and attaching means at its forward and rearward ends and force it out with hydraulic pressure, in the reverse direction to that which forced it However', the A tube or liner is provided with one or more grooves or can` nelures extending preferably in a spiral direction along its outer surface from rear to front; and means are provided by which oil or other fluid may be forced under hydraulic pressure into the said cannelures or grooves, which will serve to compress and collapse the inner tube and thereby enable it to be very readily withdrawn from the gun with` out having` to be drawn out with the exercise of great force or pressure.

So simple is this invention in its practical operation that all of the necessary apparatus and paraphernalia for the removing and replacing of the A tubes and liners of large guns may be carried and the work very readily effected on battleships and within forts without returning the guns to factories or arsenals for the purpose. As the A tube or liner is relatively long for its diameter and thickness, and somewhat flexible, a strong and heavy tube is provided and adapted to receive the A tube or liner and hold it firmly and rigidly while boring out and rifling it.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention, in which drawings:

Figures l and la, are together alongitudinal section of the greater portion of a cannon. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the breech portion of the A tube or liner. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the A tube or liner at the breech end, and Fig. 4 is a cross sect-ion of the same on the line 4, ft, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of a portion of the muzzle end of the cannon.

Referring to said drawings, the cannon B of the usual built-up construction is provided with the improved A tube or liner 10, firmly seated within a main tube 12. At the breech'end the A tube is formed with a iange or head 1l, carrying on its forward face an annular V-shaped projection 9, coacting with an opposed recess 8, formed in the rear shoulder of the main tube 12, between which is confined an obturating ring of any well known form, a copper' ring or a de Bange ring, as desired, to close the rearward end of the joint between the liner and main tube. The muzzle end of the A tube or liner 10, is held against material longitudinal displacement by a stop-annulus 14, iitting over a slightly reduced end portion of the A tube and screw threaded to the main tube 12, the inner end of t-he annulus being firmly seated against a packing ring or other obturating device 7, to closethe forward end of the joint between the liner and main tube and eifectually occlude the escape of lubricant.

The outer surface of the A tub-e or liner 10, is one continuous long taper from its flange or head 11 to the reduced end portion of the muzzle and lits a correspondingly tapered inner surface of the main tube. The outer surface of the A tube is formed with channels or grooves 2, extending circumferentially and spirally from a single annular channel 3, at the breech end to a point near the muzzle within which to force a suitable lubricant or a mixture of a lubricant and a powdered metal, as before described. Access to these channels or grooves after the A tube or liner is in place in the gun may be had by drilling out a continuation of a short longitudinal hole 5, in the head or liange of the liner, as seen in Fig. 3.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a main gun tube and an A-tube or liner having walls with uniform taper adapted to fit said gun tube, said A-tube having grooves in its exterior surface for holding lubricant and for receiving fluid under pressure to collapse said tube and facilitate its removal from the gun tube.

2. In combination, a main gun tube and an A-tube or liner having walls with a uniform taper adapted to fit said gun tube,

said liner having grooves in its exterior surface for holding lubricant and for receiving fluid under pressure to collapse said tube to facilitate its removal from the gun tube, and obturating means preventing escape of lubricant from between the liner and said main gun tube.

3. In combination, a main gun tube and an A-tube or liner adapted to it said main tube, one of said tubes having grooves on its surface for holding lubricant between said tubes and for receiving fluid under pressure to collapse said tube and facilitate its removal from the gun tube.

4. The combination of a main tube, a liner having at the breech end a fiange opposed to a shoulder on the main tube and a stop-annulus screwed to the main tube and mounted on a reduced portion of the liner at the muzzle end.

5. In combination, a main gun tube and an A-tube or liner having one or more longitudinally extending lubricant channels in one of said tubes, a circumferential distributing channel at or near one end of the A-tube opening into said first named channel, and obturating means for preventing escape of lubricant from between said tubes.

6. In combination, a main gun tube and am A-tube or liner having one or more grooves longitudinally arranged in its exterior surface for receiving lubricant, a vdistributing groove near one end of said liner opening into said first named grooves and obturating means preventing escape of lubricant from between the liner and said main gun tube.

In testimony whereofv I have signed this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

Vitnesses:

S. T. CAMERON, W. B. KERKAM. 

